TresSugar

Real or Fake: World Records Made in Mexico This Year

TresSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Last month, thousands of Mexicans, including impersonator "Hector Jackson," performed Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance with hopes of breaking the world record. While the success of the wannabe zombies is still under review by the Guinness Book of World Records, Mexico has already officially captured many records this year. The New York Times dedicated some reporting resources this week to the topic. It seems Mexicans take the Guinness Book of World Records very seriously, and the Times is happy to cover all their efforts. Before you go read the piece (linked at the end of this quiz), see if you can spot the real records made in Mexico from the fakes.

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Do Tell: Where Would You Go on a Road Trip?

TresSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0700

A road trip is an adventurous way to discover more about a region and yourself. In the US alone there are more than 3.9 million miles of road to drive along with the music turned up, and there are also wonderful places to explore by car in other countries too.

One of my favorite road trips involved renting a Jeep and heading up the dusty coast of Baja, Mexico. We stopped at gorgeous snorkel spots and our soundtrack was a local band's CD we bought at the suggestion of a gas station attendant.

If you could hit the road before the Summer ended, where would you go?

What Happened on Cinco de Mayo?

TresSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Mexico has been getting some bad press lately thanks to swine flu. But it's May 5, so today is the day we celebrate Mexico, at least in America! Cinco de Mayo marks the date Mexico beat France in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

But do you know what else happened on this day in history? Take this quiz to test your skills. You might learn some new trivia you can drop while you're sipping a margarita tonight!

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Mexican Drug Violence Sparks a War on Spring Break

CitizenSugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:00:22 -0700

Universities and parents, not to mention travel agencies that straight up canceled trips, have discouraged college students from heading south of the border for their Spring breaks this year. While the warnings aren't stopping students from heading to places like Cancún, resort towns close to the border are being hit not only by violence but also by a decrease in tourism revenue.

After more than 6,000 people died last year in Mexico from drug violence, places like Palm Springs are wooing Spring breakers to their hotels, bars, and pools. Lucky them?

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Front Page: Hillary Clinton to Mexico as Drug Violence Rises

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:03:56 -0700

Just in time for Spring Break, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will head to Mexico today to discuss plans to curb exploding drug-related violence. - Washington Post
Illinois ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich guest hosted a Chicago radio show this morning, telling listeners that he was hijacked from office. - AP
A rise in factory orders, after six months of decline, is the latest glimmer of economic hope. - New York Times
President Obama will soon name a task force charged with overhauling the US tax code. - Bloomberg
Applications to refinance existing mortgages were up 41.5 percent last week, after the Fed announced historically low interest rates. - Wall Street Journal

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US Border Patrol to Poison Plants Along the Mexican Border

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:30:45 -0700

Illegal immigrants and drug smugglers have found that hiding among the thick carrizo cane plants makes it harder for US border patrol to find them.

The feds plan to root out the problem. US teams will soon cut the plants by hand, dig out the roots with equipment, and spray them with poison from helicopters, so they can no longer serve as a hiding place.

The herbicide won't harm animals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. But critics worry that the long-term effects are unknown and Mexican officials think the chemicals could damage water supply.

The poison-plant plan is the latest tool for border agents, who rely on walls, fencing, and lookout towers. Does killing plants sound like a natural solution to the smuggling and immigration problem?

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Carla Bruni - The 21st Century's Marie Antoinette?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:21:37 -0700

Outrage over bailed out executives taking home large bonuses and financing expensive trips all on the taxpayer's dime seems more than reasonable. And I can only imagine how angry those who lost their life savings to Bernard Madoff must be at the fact that the alleged swindler is still living in luxury on Park Avenue. But another set of rich people, who have arguably done nothing wrong, are gaining the public's wrath. The latest target - wealthy politicians.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni have come under fire in France for taking a luxurious vacation in Mexico.

After news leaked that the first couple was staying in a luxurious one-bedroom villa, the French became outraged. Overall the two-day stay, including security and staff, cost $100,000. No one's quite sure who footed the bill, but the president's staff says it wasn't the government. Still, many are offended by the extravagance in the face of rising unemployment and hardship.

We all remember how John McCain's failure to remember how many homes he owned bankrupted his campaign. In a democracy, should well-off leaders live within their own means, or within the means of the struggling public?

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Eric Holder Says Assault Weapon Ban Is Back

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:30:10 -0800

Attorney General Eric Holder announced yesterday that the administration will reinstate a ban on assault weapons.

Before you get too worried that Obama is taking unprecedented steps to limit your right to bear arms, know that he just wants to reinstate the ban that expired in 2004. In 1994, Congress banned 19 types of semi-automatic military-style guns and ammunition clips with more than 10 rounds.

Holder's statements yesterday focused on the positive impact the ban will have . . . in Mexico! Drug traffickers south of the border often buy sophisticated weapons in the US, according to the Mexican government. And Mexico needs all the help it can get fighting the drug traffickers, since 6,000 people were killed last year due to drug violence.

Holder also explained how the ban fits into Obama's broader plan on guns:

As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.

Does this sound like good gun control policy?

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Immigrants the New Slave Labor? FBI Probes Treatment

LibertySugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:00:31 -0800

Mexican guest workers at the center of an FBI investigation say that their boss treated them like animals.

Charles "Bimbo" Relan, the Louisiana farmer who employs the immigrants, allegedly confiscated the workers' passports, kept them working hunched over for hours, fired his shot gun over the workers' heads, killed the stray dog the workers kept as a pet, and sometimes paid them only $2 an hour. He also exposed the immigrants to dangerous pesticides.

Some of the immigrants, who had obtained visas to legally work on the strawberry farm, left without their passports. They organized, protested, and caught the FBI's attention. Do you think more should be done to make sure non-American workers are treated with dignity and have the same civil rights as American workers?

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Mexico Goes on a Nationwide Diet to Lose a Million Pounds

CitizenSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:00:01 -0700

The US isn't going to be #1 for long - but this is one record that could be worth giving up: Mexico is on track to eclipse the US as the fattest country within the next 10 years.

Almost half of Mexico's 110 million people are overweight and the number of overweight children has risen by 8 percent every year for the past decade, with Type 2 diabetes skyrocketing as well. The cause? Growing fast food, tons of money spent on marketing it, more time in cars, and more time in front of the tube. Sound familiar?

To see what they're doing to tip the scales on this problem, read more.

Here's what they're doing to combat the bulge: a nationwide campaign called "Vamos Por Un Million de Kilos" (Let's Lose a Million Kilos) or about two million pounds has worked a treat, and phase two, "Let's Lose More Kilos," aims to keep the momentum going. To help get the country moving, the Calderon administration has built or revamped 800 public sports facilities and the National Institute of Public Health is promoting healthier diet choices. Advertisers are also sponsoring spots showing easy and free ways to exercise in a country where lots can't afford gym memberships.

Sounds like a plan worth emulating?

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